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She didn't flicked

Of course she jumped and happy for all her friends when their name were called, but soon, she find herself back immerse on her own thought

She did bursting with everyone else when her team mates, kojina Yui, magnificently level up her narcism from last year, and even leave to the restroom in the middle of her speech

Or when the senbatsu members announcement just started and the first name called, Nyannyan kamen (who appears to be kojima haruna! gosh! what a shocking revealed!) made the most grand entrance scene ever

Multiplied by surprise appearance of wan wan police yuko oshima, or even when that NNK made her graduation announcement after, the most kind and well accepted graduation announcement ever... with everyone smiling... Like she always wished (except one puppy from ske that probably too busy with SSK preparation and didn't get the hint from weeks before, look so lost)

But the more names were called, the more she stoned in her place, the more it is hard to force a smile once or twice, or to moves her hands to claps twice and thrice

Her minds were hijacked by the thoughts of the nightmares she had the nights before... nightmares about the day she is in now

Suddenly ... the thought of her grandma, who raise her when her parents too busy with works hit her, adding up the already unbelievable pressure on her young heart

 The named next center candidate for the most gigantic Idol group in the world, akb48, and her nasty prelim rank two weeks ago

Miyawaki Sakura could only sit in her seat, as one by one name of friends she knows being called, waiting for her own turn to be executed In one of the most sophisticated and heart wrecked show in the world

No...it is not one of those 'reality show', where everything are frustratedly-obvious were being arranged

With those fake camera setting that desperately wish to forged our logic and yell "yow, I'm placed in a secret place so this is legit" , and with all those low paid actors that try so hard acted like they couldn't acting to look natural, despite that they could not act , either way.

This is real ... the sweat these young girls has spilled for the whole year are real, theres nothing fake with the tears they shed, just as their smiles for that day are genuine 

And the voices of their fans, in the stadium, in front of their tv at home, in the middle of the night somewhere in the other part of the world (tortured by their housemates who don't understand anything about the majestic event, desperately told them to shut up and stop screaming maniacally in the middle of the night)

Voices that slashing the air, as their oshi name were called, are super real... a quite sadistic stage of young girls being push to exceed their limits... to break their shell .. to dare to dream, and chase it with all their might

Its AKB48 General Election

Sakura Miyazaki could not even feel her hands anymore, the drops and the raise of this years SSK ranks are so gargantuan, adding her anxiety. 

Just so... by reflects ... her eyes went to the only thing her hearth knows could give her a little sedative just by looking at her, to the other and the most legit future ace candidate of the giant idol group, to Matsui Jurina

Sakura scanning every bits of Jurina beautiful face, and found the exact same pressure-or even more-printed there

 Just how much she wish she could sit beside Jurina now, and not by these per-group seat arrangement, let their hands tangled together, share the warm that might still resides there, comfort in each other heat

But as much as she wanted it, she know that they both should not. That they both should be strong, that the future of the groups are rest in their shoulders, and their feet has to train themselves to be strong to stand alone, even with those burdens on their shoulders

"#9 with 60.591 votes, HKT48 team H/AKB48 team K ... KODAMA HARUKA!"

The announcement has break the big 10, and sakura best friend has magnificently ranked in

"#8 with 68.125 votes, AKB48 team A... HARUKA SHIMAZAKI!"

Sakura melon pan alliance senpai just being called, the salt queen who has signed a peace treaty with the Mr.announcer are slightly sweeter this year on SSK

Not even forget to mention in her short speech, how she was thinking of graduating, but her waifu, the soukantoku, were asked the salt queen to stay with her just a little bit longer, and just as a good waifu the salt is, there she are. 

"#7 with 69.159 votes "

Its finally Kami 7 ... and sakura name have not yet being called ... she do not dare to wish a higher rank, after that prelim rank... if her names are about to be called, now is just the time....but still... still she hopes

"SKE48, team E ...SUDA AKARI"

Sakura suddenly find it hard to breath , what just happen? it is not her?? tears start round up on the corner of the young Hakata girls

"#6 with 78.279 votes"

"HKT48 team KIV/AKB48 team A"

"SAKURA MIYAWAKI"

And tears just cannot be stop from her eyes anymore, sakura pulled all the strength she had left, to walk and take the microphone

Her grandmother face just flashing in her eyes, and she just cant help but blurted out, with all the cracked voice ... again .. this year ... her voice might be small, almost whispering, but her determination are not reduced, #1 is her next goal

Take her seat, now can finally breathing, sakura could concentrate completely on the Sousenkyo, but still, the hakata girl caught off guard as the next name were called

"#5, with 92.110 votes, AKB48 team B ... YUKI KASHIWAGI"

The stadium filled with uproar immediately, and so is Sakura's head

Her Kagoshima onechan, the black queen, has lost her top three seat, she also lost 7ok more votes from last years

Even with the prelim results, no one think that this could really happening : that someone new has break the top three invisible wall.

'It couldn't be'

Sakura throw a quick glance to Jurina, never see the SKE ace more stone-like ever before

Not to mention, for the four seat that left, its each one for NMB, HKT, SKE, and AKB, anyone who ranked next, would be the one who ranked highest in their respected group, and thus determine the highest rank their group could represent in the sousenkyo 

 Next is a pure battle royal among the sisters...the pressures could not be more colossal

"#4 with 110.441 votes" the number four alone has break 100k votes

"NMB48 team N... SAYAKA YAMAMOTO"

And Sakura should remind herself to not jump to Jurina's lap right away... JURINA HAS BREAK INTO THE TOP THREE

The NMB ace slash captain slash icon, totally look cool and composed when she take the mic and start her speech

Not forget to reclaim her love to miyuki in the tsundere ways as she always been, and end it with a super catch phrase "minna.. Amore~", that super dorky Namba Ikemen, has break her personal best, ranked 4

And the next ...

"#3 with 112.341" sakura not even dare to simply inhale the air "SKE48 team S...JURINA MATSUI!!"

The puppy wide grin just so shining, they might have to distribute a shade glasses to the audience so they all not blinded by it

Jurina take a steady step to the microphone ... she remember her promise to not crying .. and so is she

Claimed that she would not stop, to only aim higher and higher , and drop a final bomb by her exclamation for another 5 years in 48G! (sakura raise her eyebrows, wait.. 5 years? did I misheard you Ju? but i tough you said---?? )

The puppy who has grown to a magnificent ranked 3 wan-chan now, take her seat right beside the crown gloriously

The next would be the main battle ... for the two seat left, for the special two seat left, the members were praying... especially the Hakatanian and the AKB-nist... its the battle between queens

"#2 with 175.613 votes...MAYU WATANABE"

"#1 with 243.011 votes ....RINO SASHIHARA"

Mayu really has to go to her waifu yukirin first, before take her second place seat

And sashihara rino has break 200k votes just like that ! crave a history of the very first member that ranked 1# twice ever!

It was rain confetti, and tears, and more dramas. but no blood was shed and it was such a wrecked-great-hearth warming sousenkyo day... just like it always been

Just like it always will

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Theres a live show and endless interviews after, especially for the kami7 ... for sakura.. and moreover for the new top three from SKE

It was very late at night, but the two finally find a time for themselves, beaten up, tired, but happy ... sit side by side, drown on each other warmness

Sakura take Jurina hands that she longed to hold since hours ago into hers, and mold it gently, Jurina smile, take their tangled hands to her lips, so she could kiss sakura hands

"Conrats on six"

"Congrats breaking the top 3"

The two smile to each other, pure happy smile, and it just meant to be, that those cute smiles has to met, and do a passionate celebration dance together as they kiss

It is a passionate, but gentle kiss, with giggles and chuckle decorating in between... Jurina really could not help but to deepen their kiss, but not long after ... sakura gently push the sakae ace away

"Not here "

" ehhhh...why not?? cant this poor kid get some congratulation present from her girl friend??"

"Just what kind of present are you expected!?"

"hmm...do you want me to said it out loud?" *evil grin*

*Blush* "i-its not time to celebrate yet! mayu san vote has break 170k, sashi votes even break 200k, and it's the giant walls we should climb next...we had to maintain the greatness of this group to at least that level!"

"..200k ... " the fact successfully dimmed the SKE ace smile

"..."

"But we can do it!"

"You and your optimistism ... " not that I hate it, sakura added secretly in her head

"Someone has to... for the future of the whole AKB group, right? Miyawaki sakura san... the next ace candidate of akb48 "

"Stop teasing me...please" sakura gently push the nagoya devil away

"Hahaha sorry...sorry " the sakae ace laugh, before turn her eyes to sakura eyes, and smile with her assured smile " but i meant it... lets do it.. its our dream isnt it?"

Jurina smile are just as contagious as its always been, irresistible to not smile with her

"so lets go sakura!"

"where ?"

"To the future, to our dream!"

"you silly..."

"so? we go or not?"

"...Together...?"

"Together"

"To the future of AKB48"

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so ... well .. this is the last chapter
since it is literally impossible to continue if sakura or Jurina rank were to drop in ssk ... this is a story about two young kami7 whose in love and their life in the 48G after all 

but since they are would still be around in the kami7 ... and i still have another somewhat a year to spare ... i think i would write a sequel(?) of this series .. not soon, but i think it'll happen ,  probably named it waltz dance or something, i still don't know

but it won't be updated weekly like this one 

this fic has been a very pleasant journey ... and thank you very much for read it all this way

peace out